Leavitt Encourages Enrollment in Medicare Drug Benefit
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt visited Orange County on Wednesday to encourage senior citizens to enroll in the Medicare prescription drug benefit before the May 15 deadline, the Orange County Register reports.
About one-third of the 900,000 eligible Californians who had inadequate or no prescription drug coverage have signed up for the benefit, Leavitt said. Those who enroll late will face financial penalties.
Jeff Flick, regional administrator for CMS, said initial problems with the program may have discouraged some seniors from enrolling, but "[m]ost of the problems have been solved" (Perkes, Orange County Register, 4/19).